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Up to 40 percent of adults experience upper abdominal pain at one time or another, and many of them seek medical attention -- and in many cases, an underlying cause of their discomfort is not readily identified. Upper abdominal pain can be caused by a variety of disorders, including acid reflux and gallbladder disease, and even physicians may have difficulty distinguishing among these conditions. However, the location and nature of your pain and the timing of your symptoms may help clarify your diagnosis.

Anatomical Locations

Acid reflux occurs when the contents of your stomach rise into your esophagus, which is the muscular tube between your throat and stomach. Pain from acid reflux is typically felt in the pit of your stomach or lower chest, although it can rise into your throat. Your gallbladder is a hollow organ located beneath your liver in the upper right side of your abdomen. Pain arising from gallbladder disease is usually felt just beneath your right lower ribs, although it may also be felt in the pit of your stomach. Gallbladder pain may radiate into the regions of your right upper back, chest or shoulder.

Nature of Pain

Heartburn, the most common symptom of acid reflux, is a steady burning or boring pain that usually begins suddenly and quickly increases in intensity. Rarely, acid reflux can cause a squeezing pain in the middle of your chest, which may raise concerns about heart disease. In most cases, heartburn resolves in less than an hour. Acid reflux pain may decrease with sitting upright, belching or standing, and it is usually relieved with antacids.

The pain due to gallbladder disease is typically a steady, gripping pain that may grow sharper with deep inspiration. Changing positions, belching, passing gas or taking antacids rarely alleviates gallbladder pain. Nausea and vomiting may occur during a gallbladder attack. Gallbladder pain usually begins suddenly, lasts at least an hour and can persist for several hours.

Timing of Symptoms

Acid reflux is most likely to occur immediately after a meal, although it may be aggravated by lying down several hours after a meal. Thus, heartburn, upper abdominal pain, regurgitation or chest pain that develops right after eating or drinking is more likely to be due to acid reflux than gallbladder disease.

Unlike the heartburn caused by acid reflux, the pain caused by gallbladder disease usually occurs several hours after eating, often at the same time every day. Gallbladder pain frequently awakens people at night. Although fatty or greasy foods may trigger gallbladder attacks in some individuals, this is not true of all people with gallbladder disease.

Considerations

In most cases, acid reflux and gallbladder disease are relatively easy to distinguish. However, both of these conditions may cause vague, nonspecific symptoms, such as dull pain in the pit of your stomach. Furthermore, it is quite possible to have both acid reflux and gallbladder disease at the same time, so the timing and nature of your symptoms may overlap. If your diagnosis is not straightforward, your doctor may order a gallbladder ultrasound, upper endoscopy or other tests to identify the cause of your symptoms.

About the Author

Stephen Christensen started writing health-related articles in 1976 and his work has appeared in diverse publications including professional journals, “Birds and Blooms” magazine, poetry anthologies and children's books. He received his medical degree from the University of Utah School of Medicine and completed a three-year residency in family medicine at McKay-Dee Hospital Center in Ogden, Utah.